Spectacular buying spree

Press, 29 April 1981, Page 27

Spectacular buying spree

NZPA Sydney A spectacular buying spree by the Perth millionaire, Mr Robert Holmes A’Court, has shattered the Australian and New Zealand record price paid for a yearling. At the final session of the Easter sales at Randwick, on Friday evening, Mr Holmes A’Court parted with $825,000 (NZ $1,056,000) for a colt. The colt is a half-brother to the smart two-year-old. Anyone Home, by the sensational sire Luskin Star out of the mare Visit. The purchase price more than triples the record of $250,000 set at the same sales last year and equalled at this year’s Trentham Sales in New Zealand. Mr Holmes A’Court was the underbidder for several other high priced yearlings at the sales and this purchase meant that he has paid more than $1 million for horses at . the Newmarket sales. He won a four-way bidding battle for the colt. The previous record for a yearling was 3550,000 paid for a Kaoru Star filly earlier on Thursday. Big bidding during the sales resulted in three year-

lings being auctioned for $500,000 or more. On Tuesday, the leading trainer, Tommy Smith, paid $500,000 for a brother to the Golden Slipper winner, Full on Aces, and then rival trainer, Neville Begg, broke the record by purchasing the Kaoru Star-Promising filly.